The Cal-look Lounge

Hi my name is Nicolas and I'm a new guy here ! I'm from France and I'm 22. Here's my beetle, I bought it when I was 16 and it was totally restored and painted in Porsche blue. The only thing I have to finish is the seats and door panels upholstery, and replace windshield's and rear window's chrome trim ! The engine is a 1300, I already installed 4 discs brakes, 4,5 an 5,5 BRM's, a GT steering wheel, 145's an 185's /15 tyres (thanks Yvres from DAS !!! ;D), lowered the front end, and put a phat boy muffler (not on the pics).
The plans are : nice engine and nice gearbox ( 8)) , maybe change the wheels for 2 liter fuchs, rivieras or enkei 4 bolts flat dish... (yeah I know 4 bolts BRM's are not originals, but they'll stay on the car for the moment !), and prepare a little the chassis (front and rear end). I also will remove the stickers on side's windows, I can't bear them anymore !

Pics : (On the last pic I was running 155/15 on the front).

 8) 8) 8)

Welcome to The Lounge Nico86! Just to let you know - I dig blue cars!  :)

Best rgs
BeetleBug

Welcome here, love your stance!

That would look great on riviera's....

Nice to see you here Nico ! ;D
Your bug is awesome ! 8)

welcome. another one who's nicname was stolen hahahahhahaha  ;D ;D ;D (France has too many Nicolas's)

cool car, and indeed would look good on riviera's or 2L rims.

Mmmh rivieras.. nice one Nico!

Welcome Nico86, LOVE the car.  ;D
I give my vote to original 2L Fuchs!

Nice!

Welcome on the lounge.  ;)

It could be nice with original Riviera.

Thank you all guys !  8) 8) 8)  I really hesitate in the choice of my wheels, but I have the time to save money for reflexion. ;D

Now let's have some fun with photoshop  ;D

Love your car,it't great.This is just what I plan to do with my 72. 1300 soon.

Very nice!!!
(http://www.herecomestheboss.com/images/news/lg_a-borat2.jpg)

Rob! Stop posting photos of your holiday! :o


 ;D

4 lug Mahle gasburners :)

yes baby GB or 2.0 l fuch

 :D :D :D

Yep I have a nice choice in wheels, the only thing I want is to keep the 4x130 lugs.

nice late looker ;) nice stance. don't You wont to change the rear lights? would look really good. I like tke wheels they are my dilema wheels :)
what tire spec do You have? is it lowered on beam od spindless? I've spot STD antirollbar. Do you rubb the wings with front wheels (you ride on std widh beam?

Hi ! Yes I have standard width for the front beam, with std anti-roll bar. I lowered it with Sway-A-Way kits, rear is stock height. I have no rubbing now but when I was ridding 155 on the front I was rubbing sometimes, because of BRM's offset that's higher on the exterior side than stock wheels or Fuchs. It would have been correct if I get the front 1 cm higher, but as I had to change tyres I put 145, and I kept the nice stance.  8) 8) ;D

Hye Nico86,

I vote for Riviera 'for sure' ,, too amazing wheels  :o

BTW : Cool car !  ::)

Cool car and if you are changing the wheels and keeping it 4x130 for what its worth my vote would be with either the Mahles or the Rivieras.

 :)

oh yes Mahles the most beutifful wheels on 4x130 :) in my opinion. too bad that they are so hard to find (especially here in Poland - no chance).

Thanks evryone for your comments !


This one rocks  8). Too many nice wheels !

Here are some news, I installed the GT dark rosewood steering wheel, now I really need a cooler shifter !
And the new ceramic coated exhaust is in place too.

Beautifull car!! :)
Got my hands on two '69s now, one complet, and one rolling shell. Your's will be a nice inspiration for one of them!! ;)

Thanks   ;)

I also picked-up 2 seats that come from an Alpine Renault, I don't have any pics of them but they are the same as these :

(http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/382/dsc020926ja.jpg)
(http://1d.img.v4.skyrock.net/1d2/turbo1688/pics/1289196594.jpg)

They are in nice condition, and will be installed as soon as I find some time and a way to fix them on the car ! ;D

I get some stuff for the dash board, that will look fine with the steering wheel. 8)

you don't want to sell one of the 2 kits by any chance?  ;D

Nope I keep the 2 kits ! But I pm-you where I bought them ;).

 ;D ;D ;D

Soon there will be a big update on my car, some parts that will make it fit perfectly to the style I want.
Here's a little clue ;D.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v385/CMD/snoopy1.jpg)

come on,tell us more about the beast  ;D

I think i saw an ad on another belgian forum for some parts that matches the picture  ;) Already sold to you it seems...

I think you are right !  ;D


Another clue

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1112.0;attach=7503;image)

I would have loved to get them for my new daily driver! It will look great :)

Yep ! 8)
So what's your new car since you've sold the cabrio ?

A crappy 72, nothing worth mentioning...  ;D

 ;D

i'd guess you got yourself some ansen wheels?

Not exactly Ansens, but I got some Shelby Cal 500 in 4x130 VW patern and 5,5x15".  ;D I can't wait to receive them !
You can find some infos about it there http://www.terovirta.com/volks/Frame.html (in the custom wheels guide).

Some pics I picked-up on the internet :

Oh and I forgot...  ;D 8) (not exactly the same I know)

I receive them !  ;D They are in very good shape, just need a cleaning and I will see if they need a little re-polish or not, or if I keep them in their nice "patina".
As it's a set of 2, I'm officially looking for 2 others !  ;D But waiting for that I will mount those 2 at the rear, and for the front I'll keep the BRMs or install centerline/erco style, or maybe some Flat4 Enkei flat dish. I will also install some home-made center caps, unless I have the chance to find og ones !

Whoops sorry for my shoe one first pic ;D !

Pretty cool... shoe!!! ;D

Thanks ! :D

I'm still looking for 2 other Shelby wheels, waiting for this here's a new "old" pic.

I love to have fun with photoshop ! 8) ;D

Very nice Nico ! ;)

 ;)

Today I tried the wheels on the car. They fit perfectly for the rear, but it's not ok for the front : first they have a very high offset and tires will be out of the fenders (and rub), and they rip on the disk brake caliper just where there's the brake piston, so impossible to remove some material there.

That resolve my problem for finding 2 other Shelby wheels, but now I have to choose other front wheels. My first choice is Flat4 Enkei's flat dish, as they have the same design and look very closely like the Shelby. Some Centerlines would be nice but it's too much "racing" in my opinion. That's the only 2 options that will fit perfectly I think.

 ::)

(http://www.hobidas.com/blog/vw/gutsy/archives/IMG_2453.JPG)

 ::) ;D


(http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h311/cmhauer/Worriers/Allen_5.jpg)

Enkei Nico, they are the best  ;)

Yep I think I will go with this, I like their style. And the "flat profile" they have for the front will look great with the "concave profile" of Shelbys for the rear. I'll try tomorow to draw you the mesures I need for the center caps. ;)

I do the  draw tomorrow ;)

Here's what I need to know (sorry for my shitty drawing  :D).

Some news ! I finally found my front wheels, thanks Gunter for the delivery at the swap meet  ;D.

How it will look. The Cal 500 on the rear will have Enkei five spokes' center caps, but before that I have to make them shine. 8)

Very nice Nico ! 8)

Thanks ! 8)

I need some help about the bolts for the Shelbys. On the wheels I have 3 "flat" holes and 1 "conic" hole to center the wheel. It's ok for the conic hole but I want to know what kind of bolt I need for the 3 flat holes, is it the same as Centerlines or Ercos ?

Nobody to help me ?

  :-\ :'(

Nico, you need what is known as a "mag nut". You have a stud for the drum/disc and the nut that holds the wheel on has a slimmer section that slides into the wheel. A flat washer locates against the face of the wheel to spread the load. My old American Eagle wide five fuchs had them. They're quite common on American made wheels. I'll have a look on the samba for a picture. ;)

Ok thanks !  That's the kind of nuts I can use ?

(http://www.jbugs.com/store/graphics/00000001/9511.jpg)

Sorry double post ;D .

That's the ones! Couldn't find a picture on the samba, which is wierd because I'm sure i've seen them on there before! :D But al least you've found the right ones. I was thinking about the conical hole and I suspect that it has been modified to take a locking wheel bolt.

Thanks for the infos Neil ! Maybe one hole have been modified, I can't see on the pics I found on the internet if all wheels are like this or not. That's not a problem as I'll also use a locking bolt.

I also found these washers, they are made for Erco's, and seem to allow mounting conical bolts on flat holes ?
(http://www.slideperformance.com/images/parts/SP-012-680M.jpg)

And also I can put this kind of flat nuts with studs and  flat washers ?
(http://www.csp-shop.de/shop/images/artikel/11417.jpg)

For a minute there I thought you were referring to Fabian.  :)

I think the idea of the long shoulder is to go inside the wheel and centre the wheel on the studs. Without those, the wheel could rattle around on the studs. If the holes are the same size as the studs, you'll be able to use the Erco-style washers and conical nuts, but I'd measure the diameter of the stud holes first.

If the cap fits... :D

Ok thanks Neil ! I'll check the stud-holes diameter.

The diameter of the stud holes on the Shelby is 16mm, on the Flat4 it's 15,5/16mm, and the bolts I have are og vw diameter (14mm if I remember well). So I can't use mag nuts with shoulders I think ?
I will go with conical bolts and Erco-style washers , I will try to make them myself.

Here are the parts my dad made for the center of the  Flat4 wheels, It's machined in a full aluminium cylinder. I don't know the name of this part in english, I need it because strangely the Flat4 wheels don't fit exactly on my front discs brakes, they are vw brakes though and go ok with og steel wheels and all other wheels I've tried. ???

Today we made the parts that holds the center caps, it's again machined in aluminium. I'll replace the BTR screws that look too modern.

Go !  ;D
After a few hours the inner sides are clean.

A quick "before and after" :

Nice!

 ;)

The washers for the Shelbys are ready, we made it with stainless steel. There will be 3 "flat" washers per wheels, and 1 "conical" washer for the hole that's already conical on the wheel. It's almost finished, now I have to polish and clean washers, bolts, center cap adaptators and wheels outer sides.
My whashers are the same style as the blue ones on this beetle.

Pics from last year, with the old BRMs and turbo muffler.

Nice car Nicolas.
When are the new wheels coming?

Thanks ! I'm now hand-polishing the outer sides of the Shelbys, I want them as clean as the Enkeis, that's a long work :P. I hope to have everything finished and mounted on the car next week.

I was thinking about the tire sizes for my new wheels, on these 4 pics I was running 185R15 and 155R15, both Vredestein Sprint Classic. That doesn't look bad. ;D

Nice car and nice wheels.
But the stickers on the side windows??
Nico??

Yes I know  :D, but don't worry I want to buy pop-out windows that will come without any stickers, and my current windows will go to the wall of my garage.

Front wheels are ready, and rear wheels are clean. ;D 8)

Should look cool on the car Nico ;)

Michael

Yep' !  ;)

No news about the wheels, I'll order new tires and I'm waiting for it.

But this weekend a new carpet kit was installed.

 ;) Do you like blue ?  ;D

I really really need a cooler shifter !

Damn, looks really good Nico !!

Hope to see the enkeis soon under your car  8)

Thanks !  ;)

These wheels are very cool !!!
That will be look very good on your car  ;)

Yep I can't wait to get my new tires and mount them !  8)

I received the rear tires, the front are comming but are out of stock for the moment.

what is the dimension of rear tires?

looks like 165sr15 ;)

Yes  ;). 165sr15 XZX for the rear. 145sr15 XZX or 165/65 X for the front, I have to think about it  ???.

I like this combo on Zack's GTV.

And today I finished the carpet under the trunk.

Having some problems with the choice of tires, because of the big offset of rear wheels, having thinking about it during the last weeks and being boring with not having the proper look I want, I decided to start back with another set of wheels.  8)
I have a deal with Nicolas on a set of 5 mag wheels. More soon.

This picture was with A-78's in the front and 6.00/15's in the back. They were big & little... sorta ;)
(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5591.0;attach=29211;image)

good Job Nico!
real cool late model!
i LOVE ansen (or similar) on late model!
go on! i want to see wheels and seats at their place!
the seats are great...and work good... i got 2 Cobra seats..u will enjoy it!

Thanks, the seats are coming, I have to think about a way to mount them with an acess to rear seats (or maybe no rear seats and a huge roll cage  :P)

forget to go on the rear seats...
or will go on them only slim girls...(slim ass!)
i do in this way.... ;D

Don't worry, I only hang out with slim ass girls  :D :D ;D.

The new wheels are comin' from Nicolas, and I get this directly from cali, with a big help from Lisa ! Thank you again  ;).

The wheels are here, thanks Nicolas ;).

what about shelby/enkey/ansen ? ???

They have a way to much bigger offset, the tire rub the fender and it doesn't look good. Even with 165R15 tires the look is not good to me, and to keep a proper look I can't put smaller tires. I will keep the 2 Shelbys and probably sell the 2 Flat4.

Done ! ;D More pics during the weekend.

Looks great!!! Like the stance. ;D

 :o :o very nice nico  the riviera looks good on the car

Thanks guys, I really love them ! I finally have some good looking wheels on my car  :D.

Very cool Nico !! 8)

 ;)

I will drive it like this for the summer, then this winter maybe a re-blasting for the spokes, and a re-polishing for the center and outer rim. I have to find center caps and chrome lugs too.

 ;)

Looks great!!!
Now lose the stickers...

Thanks ! And yep I'm looking for pop-out windows that will come without stickers. I also think about removing the D plate, and maybe install a french standard black rear plate without the frame, that would look cleaner.

 ;)

 ;D

Got some little work done, first I finally found a 'vert hood...

...and I 've mounted the Berg shifter, so pleasing to drive with !

Yeah Nico!!  So nice to see the Berg Shifter in.  Enjoy  ;)

Thanks ! I can't believe how the gears are comming so well with the Berg Shifter, I have so much fun on little mountain roads. Mark, I saw that ISP-west make repros of the center caps, I have to place an order.

 :)

That looks like the road that runs from some place north of frejus to grenoble. Route Napoleon?
Nice picture. What is probably often forgotten is the different scenery our cars are driven in. Ranging from beautiful mountain roads to FLAT asphalt :)

Not exactly the Route Napoléon, but it's in the same area, one of my summer trips  8).

I picked up a 912 sterring wheel, pics from the seller :

Now repainted and cleaned, with a steering wheel cover. The boss seems to have the same diameter, will it fit on my 68 bug ?

Fabs gave me some inspiration with his montage !  ;D

(http://blogsimages.skynet.be/images_v2/002/506/192/20091012/dyn001_original_640_900_pjpeg_2506192_e6956988f555483d8f2904e8feb139d8.jpg)

 ;)

 ;)

fabs gave you some great inspiration, it was one of the cars that inspired me as well to buy the rivieras in the first place myself. along with the sepia brown one from Don Metz (??) but don't think about polishing the wheels completely  :P

car looks good.

looks good nico   ;)

here's the inside of the car and the engine  ;)

It could but it's not deep enough.. your hands will hit the turn signal switch...

Thanks for nice comments guys, I won't polish the wheels they will keep this look. And I still have the 5th wheel to do.

Thanks for the info Roland, I will have to create an adaptator for the boss.

Spring is here, this weekend will be the time for a little ride. ;) First works will be to put orange front turn signal lenses, paint the vert decklid, and loose the D plate. Still haven't found pop-out windows and the centercaps for the wheels.

and remove those stickers  ;)

Yep, they will go with the windows, when I'll find pop-out!

centercaps are available at ISP west if not mistaken, they have them for aftermarket rivs and originals, just mail them the diameter of the hole.
 and why put in pop outs? keep the vents in the front and have callook rubber insted of pop outs.  ;)

I will try at ISP, but I'm wondering if it will fit the rear with the end of the axle that overstep pretty much. First I also have to make wheel spacers for the rear, then I will see how it turns.
Pop-outs ? I want some since I'm a kid !  ;D And I like chrome too so... 8)

I'm also thinking about knock-offs for the wheels, maybe.

I found this and this.

(http://shop.hoffmann-speedster.com/catalog/images/images/produkte/070/070_8392.jpg)

(http://www.csp-shop.de/cshop/images/artikel/detail/10239.jpg)

A few parts. ;)

A few news, chrome wipers, orange front turn signals... oh and I removed the D plate !  :D (still looking for pop-out windows to get rid of the stickers !)

 ;)

Nice ride Nico.  ;)

Thanks. ;)

That looks really nice. I've always wondered the "sticker culture" in France/Belgium ??? Even without the popouts the removal of those stickers would make the car so much cleaner  ;)

Really nice car Nico, I love old riviera's wheels !!
 ::)

cool... , like the wheels , but to much stickers on the rear window's ;D ;D ;D

do you come @ Lanas ???

Thanks ! Yep, I was young, and I though it was cool to have rear windows full of stickers  ::) :D ;D


Thanks Seb ! Yours is nice too, can't wait to see it running. ;)


Thanks  ;) I have planned nothing about Lanas, when is it ? I will be at Hills Race in September, this time I will try to have my holydays for the weekend, and come for both days with the VW.

Lanas is near Valence , the 5 and 6 juny , drag session and big meeting.....

That sounds good  :)

And where is it exactly? I plan a trip to this region this summer, and I'm looking for interesting places.... and roads are as important as places they lead to. Especially there.

Leave the stickers  ;D

Give me your e-mail, I can indicate you some great roads.

Great!
private message sent

Message sent.  ;)

A few more pics.  ;) I will add spacers to the rear, to have the tire sitting just under the lip of the fender.

 ;)

Looks nice Nico!  8) Cool pics!

Thanks  ;)

Pop-outs are coming from Belgium ! \o/   :D ;D

Pop-outs are ready to be mounted, bye bye stickers  :'(

 ;D ;D

Tomorrow pop-outs will be on the car, and I receive the aluminium plate to create rear spacers. I also got 911 studs and nuts for the Rivs'. ;)

I picked up a Flat 4 single quiet pack, it doesn't have any bracket to bolt it under the fender, is that ok to have it mounted only on the header ?

(http://www.bugwelder-shop.com/images/AC2512542.jpg)

(http://www.flat4.co.jp/english/mf/MF-004.jpg)

I would ad a bracket for sure!

X2 - the weight of the muffler will break welds and more importantly, will stretch the J-tube to header slip joints, and you'll never get them to seal again. Ask me how I know... ::)

if i were you i would construct a bracket for it.

i have the flat 4 muffler myself and i will also make a bracket because it just hangs too loosely on the header.

let us know how you have made the bracket, i'm curious to see how others make the construction!

Thanks guys, that's what I was thinking, don't know why Flat4 doesn't put any on the muffler. ::)

I was thinking welding a bracket on the back of the muffler, where the metal sheet is welded, but it seems pretty weak, so maybe welding something like this is better :

(http://www.socalautoparts.com/images/product/00-3201-0.jpg)

that looks pretty good, but how would the piece that holds it to the body look like?

i actually never checked how those this look on other cars..

I currently have this fat boy muffler on my car, it's mounted on the bumper bracket under the fender, I will take a pic.

This how my muffler is mounted on the bumper bracket, with a part I made from stainless steel and with longer bolts.

Hi,

I welded a flat steel bar to the header and the mufflers which are screwed together.
I don´t like the idea of the muffler being mounted on the body because the body doesn´t make the movements that the engine/muffler does.
I just took some pics for you:

[attachment=1][attachment=2][attachment=3][attachment=4]

Bye,

Tobi

Thanks for the pics Tobi, that's a very interesting mounting.  ;)

Nice work and lateral thinking there Tobi, looks great.

Pop-out ! ;D

Verry nice and clean  ;D!!!!

gr
Wout

Thanks for the deal Wout ! ;D ;)

No problem!

They're made to use  :D and I still have a spare set for my car.

gr
Wout

17mm rear spacers are done, rear wheels sit well under the fenders now, with a slight negative camber.

No pics of the "spacers result" as the car doesn't run, I'm currently working on my pedals...

very nice nico! what's your plan for the pedals? what are those extra parts for to the left of the cruiser pedal and brake push rod?

Thanks  ;)

Those parts are from a "mecanical" brake servo. It works the same as a vacuum servo, but it's all mecanical. No need to use the manifold vacuum or a vacuum pump, it works alone without engine or electrical help (way better for a brake system, in my opinion). Some parts have to be modified to fit the beetle, I'll post some pics.

Dude any photos of the 912 wheel isntalled? Does it require a different boss?

I didn't put the 911 wheel for the moment, but yes you will need and adaptator to mount it properly. Maybe we should start a topic about it on "cal-look" section, some guys here have already done this, and a lot wonder how to do this.

Well I've explained a few times but next time i see my car I can take a few pics and explain the process from start to end... ;)

That would be cool to have a guide.  ;)

Nico, your car is sooo very clean, just ran into this post. You've done some amazing work to your car, like it alot. What rear disk set-up did ya use? The whole car just all goes together with those wheels. Good job Nico!

Ted

Thanks Ted  ;) Rear brakes are Sebro discs with Girling Golf mk3 calipers (mounted with an home made part).

good on ya, for fabricating your own rear disc setup then!!

Thanks  ;) ( I just have the mounting bracket made by a pro that sells the same kind of brake kits ;D ).

More work on the pedals.


Take a genuine pedal bracket, then shorten it.

[attachment=1]


It will go like this with the cruiser pedal.

[attachment=2]


Here's the mecanical brake servo kit. Bearings, springs, etc, that make it works like assisted brakes (sorry it's hard to explain in english for me  :o) I like the idea of assisted brakes that work by themselves : without any electrical, vacuum pump or engine help, the simplest is the best.  8)

[attachment=3]

Many problems with the kit, I was close to give up with it.

First the mounting holes on the bottom of the part have to be re-drilled to fit on the car.
Then the spring provided with the kit is too large so we replaced it by a thinner one, plus nothing is planned to secure the spring on the brake pedal  ??? (WTF?) so we had to make a washer to fix it.
And last but not least, the push rod and push rod mounting are too long, it's impossible to put with the master cylinder. So we shortenned the push rod mounting part, and machined a new push rod from a bolt.

Left the push rod we made, with thin nuts we made too, center the bolt we started with, right the push rod as it comes in the kit.

[attachment=1]


The washer that goes on the brake pedal, with the spring bracket (cutted in a stainless steel plate).

[attachment=2]

Ready to go on the car, with an home-made Nylon roller for the gas pedal...

[attachment=1]


...and a Nylon plate on the back of the cruiser pedal.

[attachment=2]

It will go like this. The washer mentionned above goes on the brake pedal axle, next to the bearing.

[attachment=1]


Close view.

[attachment=2]


Done.

[attachment=3]

First test drive with the brake servo. After a few settings, that's sweet ! The braking is progressive and smooth. It's gentle in the modern circulation, and can get tougher if you decide to drive a little faster. That's perfect with 4 discs brake.

Now the brakes are done : 4 german Sebro discs, genuine VW front calipers, Girling VW Golf mk3 rear calipers, bigger diameter "cup" master cylinder and mecanical brake servo.
I'll maybe adds Simca 1000/1100 front calipers, they bolt on on the VW spindles without problems, are more powerfull and can use soft/racing pads.


A few pics with pop-outs and rear spacers.

[attachment=1]

[attachment=2]

[attachment=3]

 ;)

[attachment=1]

[attachment=2]

I think you can take the "(almost)" out of the title ;)

Thanks guys  ;D

About the tail lights it came like this in France (and most part of europe I guess) on the 1300 and 1500 models, only the 1300L and 1500L had the reverse light.

I'll send an email to Anthony at ISP to know if the center caps fit on early Rivieras.

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/pix/3304068.jpg)

I got mines :)

 ;) Now it's starting to look pretty good  ;D

nice job Nico.....

Thanks  ;)


And when you're a pervert you clean the walls of your tires with shoe-polish and a toothbrush...  ;D

Great updates Nico.  ;)  You've been busy my friend. 
Looks great!  8)

How did the caps fit ? Thinking of getting some for my girlfriends wheels ??

the caps look good!

how's the cruising with those 185/15 vredesteins and a 4.37 gearbox?

Thanks Lisa !  ;)


I recommand it, they fit perfectly, great product.


Not bad, with a 40hp engine I don't really feel a difference between 185 or 155 I used to have. ;D

More pics with the caps on.

 ;D

are you putting in a dehne fuel gauge? or what's the rectangular hole for?

I've got a very cool car !  ;)

 ;)

That's space for the bracket that will hold a chronometer. Stainless plates will go behind the grills and the black plastic to mount the gauges easily.

A few pics on the way to Hills Race in Italy...

I've collected some parts for the engine... the project is a mild road engine, 1776cc (or 1835cc  ???).

Here are the parts, what do you think ?  ;)

All parts are original, made in Germany. And never used since it's been rectified/machined

*CASE*
Magnesium VW F engine case
Dual oil pressure relief
Rectified crankshaft line
Machined for 90,5mm cylinders (96mm machining)

*HEADS*
Aluminium VW 040 cylinders heads
New spark plug location
Machined for 90,5mm cylinders (98mm machining)
Combustion chambers machined for 8.5 compression rate (2mm machining)

*CRANKSHAFT*
69mm rectified VW crankshaft

*RODS*
311 VW I-beams rods




Case...

 ;)

Heads...

Crankshaft and rods...

I think the logo before the serial number indicate it's been a factory rebuild engine. That's why it has dual oil pressure relief.  ;)

Good start to have a fun and easy to live with engine.  ;) ;)

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5591.0;attach=45083;image)

 ;)

I'm reading some stuff now.

those parts look good!

 ;)

Does this book worth to buy it?
I check on amazone and it is not cheap.

An engine is nice, but you better keep an eye on it, the dash has been cut and painted...

Hey Nico, have just the right speedo for ya then run VDO gas, Temp, and Pressure gages in the dash!  ::)

Ted

 ;D I already have some gauges Ted, and I will never use the second half of this speedo  :o :D

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5591.0;attach=45092;image)

The plug threads look awfully large in this picture, like it needs an insert in there. Maybe it's just the angle...

They are 12mm  ;)

and those heads seem to be allready flycut. so you can scratch that of your list  ;D. you need to measure them though.

and everytime is see those wheels, i kinda miss them, but i know they look better on your car then they ever will look on my type3.  ;)

Yes chambers have been flycuted of 2mm, to get a theorical 8,5:1 CR with the 90.5mm cyl. kit. I will check that before doing anything else on the heads.


 ;) they are in good hands now !

Gauges are on the dash plates...

Nico, lets see the front side...

Ted

No more teasing...  ;D

I get this, but it looks better without the wood style plate.

Everything works fine, except the oil pressure gauges that is going to be repaired.

Perfect dashboard !  8)

Thanks ! White plastic on the last pic fills the hole of the pressure gauges that I have to send for repair, there's a lot of fresh air going through it !

Very nice Nico, I like that !

Woaw !!!!! :P :P

Hi Nico,

sorry I have to say that but if you colud you may want to use an other case...

It looks very corroded at some important connection spots. Maybe you could recut the spots where the washer goes. Look carfully at those spots twice, cause the stiffness of the connection will suffer when the material it corroded that far.
You want to paint your case, don`t you? otheriwse it will corrode even more...

Best greetings,
Felix

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5591.0;attach=45090;image)

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5591.0;attach=45084;image)

Thanks guys ! I like it too  ;D. I've been working hard all the summer to get it but it worth it !

Felix, I took new pics of the case (other pics were made with direct spotlight and reworked with Photoshop), here are unmodified pics. I noticed 4 major corroded spots, 3 on the right side of the case, 1 on the left side, under the sump it is just dirty and with little scratches.


First 2 corroded spots seems to be superficial, washers emplacements are in good shape.

[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]


This is on the right side of the sump, a little more important.

[attachment=3]


And the most annoying is this on the left side, where the cylinder has been spot faced. :-\

[attachment=4]

Well I cant' afford a new case or an used one+all the machining for now. First 3 corroded spots seems OK, but for the 4th one you think I can have the case spot faced again ? But it will put the cylinder in an un-correct height ? Or I have to have the 4 cylinders machined again of 1mm ?  ??? :-\

And yes, case will be painted.  ;)

Hi Nico

As previous noted, a perfect case is something different.
But if you want to go with it, i wouldn't spot face the barrel seats surface again. Fill the corrosion holes with Dirko-S Profi Press HT (black, not the red one) or something similar during the assembly process. The rest of the surface look so far ok and is strong enough to keep the head studs preloaded. Be carefully, that the barrels are not sitting on the head stud case savers!

Greetings
Didi

Thanks didi, I will try with this. Got a link to get this product ?  ;)

Some source examples for the sealing product:

http://cgi.ebay.ch/ElringKlinger-Dirko-S-Profi-Press-HT-129-400-Dichtmasse-/120490101705
http://www.scparts.co.uk/index/lang-2/lkz-195/markenid-24/katnr-107/kat_sprache-2/hrubnr-1067/rubrik-4439/functiontpl-virtueller_katalog.tpl,x-a.htm

flyer: http://www.ekag1.de/pdf/dm/Dichtmassen_EN_6.pdf

sorry, i don't know where are you from!

or drive in next weekend to my garage :-)

Greetings
Didi

Thanks I will check this.  ;)

(http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8650/case4g.jpg)

The way I see it, there is far more then enough surface left for the cylinder to seat properly. Just look, there is no way this corrosion can affect it.
Make sure that those are only holes, I mean - the are below the machined surface and none of it "stands up".
As far as sealing is concerned, there is also still enough surface plus those holes will fill up with sealant once you push the cylinder in place.

I'm not an expert, but I cannot see how this corrosion can do any harm. I would leave it us is.

Thanks  ;)
Yes it's "holes", it doesn't rise up of the spot faced surface, and it's very light, I almost not feel it when I put my finger on it (first I even thought it was just dirty).

By the way, what can I use to protect the case while it's waiting for some work, that would be for about 2 or 3 month ?

Don't know if you like it but you could paint your case black with VHT case paint. We did it on Diederick's case and it really looks good!

that would be my advise as well, plus it seems that black painted engine cases will be the next season's fashion trend in cal-look engines! ;)

you could clean the case now, paint it, and then tightly wrap it and stall it..

It will be black or grey. I like the stock style grey, and also black like Felix's engine on the Notchback.  8)

I put the parts in good conditions for storage : a dry, clean and tempred place : that's my bedroom.  ;D

sounds like you are very neat with the parts so i think they are in the good condition to store them at this point and paint them later when you have made up your mind. :)

It won't be long until I start working on it, just after Christmas it'll be ok. And the only thing that needs to be done on the case is cleaning the inside and drill it for a full flow.

More parts have arrived...

Can't resist to put a few old parts for the look ! Got this from Jurgen/DFL  ;)

[attachment=1]

And carbs from nicolas  ;)

[attachment=2]

[attachment=3]

cool  for the dds valve covers ,
i ve read your post last night , its a great car ..... ::)

Thanks !  ;D

Yep now it's starting to look like a good car  :D.

 ;D

Now your talking!  ;D

Ted

 ;D

 ;)

cool nico  ;)

 ;)

Why not using old stuff where you can do it ? Especially when you get cool parts for less $$$ than brand new parts. ;D

cool parts nico  :o

 ;)

I was followed  :o (don't mind about the carpet under the rear window, it's not glued but I've made a removable system to fix it on the panel and it sometimes falls).

why have you some seat bells at rear??? your car is an oldtimer , so normally it'snt obligatory  ???

In France when you have a car that's been made after 1965 (I'm not sure about the exact year) and when there are factory locations for seat belts you must have it. And I registered the car as a normal car, not oldtimer, so I go to technical inspection every 2 years.

And when I drive some girls around I want to be sure they're back home in pretty good shape, you see  :D ;D

 ;D ;D

 ;)

Copycats !  :D ;D

(http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/4/330/4501/38324750066_large.jpg)

(http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads7/Duck1139803659.jpg)

(http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads7/mexblue1139840424.jpg)

that's Gay ;D the porch

 :-*

Great parts dude!!
i like your car  ;)

Thanks Geo  ;)

Nice Lang parts!
That`s even my thinking: Why buy some new china parts, when you could get good old parts...
Parts hunting is such a nice time amsuement. A catalog car can be build by nearly everyone. The details will make the differences.

Cool that the case isn`t that bad as I thought firstly. But it needs your attention.

Go on!

Thanks Felix  ;)

 ;)

 :)

 ;)

 ;)

 ;)

 ;)

nico where's the snow???  :D :D

That was in October  ;D

;D.... ;)

Another twin  ;D

I like this color and your car is very cool !  8)

Thanks Flow  ;)

This is perfect. You get it!

Zach I kinda stole your idea of the Porsche sticker on Asshull's car, I'm making mine : 1,8L for the futur VW engine !  ;D

 ;)

 ;)

 ;)

 ;)

Almost done, need coloring and printing.

cool nico it will look cool on the rear windows  ;)

nicely done!!

Thanks guys  ;)

 :o Where's my royalty check?! ::) :D ;)

I have the artwork to do them in any number configuration needed. The sticker on AssHull's car was just a prototype, I want to do them the original way so it sticks on to the inside of the rear window, but I haven't found anyone who can do that yet.

 :D ;D

Yes printing is expensive, I will try to do something by myself.

Now the're available in Belgium to :

http://www.flat4free.be/forum/viewtopic.php?t=69680&sub_category=7.%20Onderdelen

gr
Wout

As expensive as I paid for mine in France  :(  Worth the money, though it needed a few modification to fit perfectly on my car, and it's a lot to pay for a few metal parts that need to be modified. But the result is really pleasant.

nice!
and that seller on Flat4free has so many nice parts for sale!
for the non-dutch speaking/reading people, just click Toon alle advertenties van deze gebruiker. (http://www.flat4free.be/f4fads/actie_zoek.php?search_name=Silver+RS&sort_by=date_added&sort_dir=desc)

Normally this kit should be plug and play so no modifications needed. Is indeed a lot of money for some metal parts  :-\.

gr
Wout

It seems to depend of the car. French magazine VW Tech installed it on their '84 mexico bug, they didn't mention any problems. I used the very same kit as them (made in Germany) : I had to modify the mounting holes that didn't fit, machine a complete master cylinder rod because the one they give didn't fit (was too long and too thick), and replace the spring and it's attachement because the one in the kit seems impossible to mount.

Well in the end that's more than "a little work" for a part that costs 200€. Next time it will be faster to make one by myself.  ::) Hopefully the result is great ! I would have been really pissed if it didn't improve anything on the braking !

I already posted the link of his website on another thread, it's http://www.german-performance-parts.be/ (http://www.german-performance-parts.be/) ;)

Yep! By the way, the mecanical brake servo he's selling seems slightly different from the usual German one.

I don't know if he makes the parts he sells himself, but maybe its more "plug and play".

Hi Nico

I'm not sure he makes it himself but he certainly made the drawing of it. I know Dirk (the seller) personally and I thought he works together with a German guy who make all the stuff he's selling.

gr
Wout

I have to keep that link, in case of need.

I mailed him this link, so maybe he will be on the lounge soon, alltrough he's a german look fan  ;D

We always welcome innovative engineers !

On his brake servo the bottom part of the mounting bracket is different : looks like what I had to do on the one I used, on page 7 (I can't tell for the push-rod and the spring just with the pics).


He also have interesting products for the suspensions and steering.

(http://www.german-performance-parts.be/sportophanging.jpg)

Hi Nico

Had a reply on my email to the seller: 'he said: he sells the real stuff and you got stacked with a repro kit  ;)'.
He has really interesting stuff, not cheap but plug and play of really good quality.

gr
Wout

The beam looks like Gerd Tafel Tuning. He sells really good stuff!

Next time I need one I'll get it from him. I would have save several days of fitting. ::)  The one I have and that was tested by VW Tech mag is the only one that can be found in french shops, says Made in Germany too but no other make :

http://www.mecatechnic.com/COX_VH24510_FR_Servo-frein-mecanique-pour-Coccinelle-Karmann-Ghia-Buggy.htm#
(http://www.mecatechnic.com/photos/VH24510-1.jpg)

More blue !  :P  Found here : http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20142

(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk178/VG65/img_7134.jpg)

(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk178/VG65/img_7432.jpg)

Very nice!
Hope to have one of those one day  ::)!

Yes me too, waiting for that day I only have the color on my beetle  :D

Was my dream to have one before my 30th birthday but that didn't worked out  :-\, but did by a nice 67 KG so one step closer, maybe for my 40th birthday  ::).

gr
Wout

A nice cal-look Ghia worth a 911 in my opinion  ;)

Another lovely blue  :-*

http://supercardigest.com/porsche/pastel-blue-1970-porsche-911-t/
(http://supercardigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1970-PORSCHE-911-T-3.JPG)

Waiting for the engine parts I've ordered and for the building to start, some little things :


NOS interior mirror

[attachment=1]


And I finished mounting all the gauges, then cut and put the dash-trim to fit the gauges

[attachment=2]

^^nice!

Well, the car is finally starting to look like something nice now...  ;D ;)

The dash is finished. Later I'll maybe add a shift-light unit hidden somewhere.

nice nico  8)

Very very cool dashboard Nico  8)

Looks Good!

Thanks guys  ;)

Cool dash Nico, i was thinking of doing the same way. Looks nice  8)

Thanks Addie  ;)

Nice stuffs you got there! :D

Thanks Olzzon  ;)

Hi Nico,

You mean a shift light alone without a RPM gauge ? How does it works ?

Nice gauge setup anyway !

Cheers

V.

Yep there are some shift light unit that works separately of the tachometer. You can plug it directly on the engine and you can choose a rpm limit where the shift light will work. They are often called "stand alone" shift lights.

Take a look here http://www.jegs.com/c/Gauges-Tachs_Shift-Lights-and-Warning-Lights/10337/10002/-1  or here  http://www.autometer.com/cat_accessories.aspx?sid=31
This one seems interesting : http://www.jegs.com/p/Auto-Meter/Auto-Meter-Digital-Pro-Shift-Systems-Controller/765435/10002/-1

Cool, thanks !!!

And this is what happens sometimes, I stumbled upon a second '68 I'll use as a daily driver. It's not in perfect shape and have a few scratches, faded paint/chromes and slight rust spots, but it's looking nice in spite of it's 'used-condition'. Needs a bit of cleaning/detailling and it will be good to use as my everyday car :) It comes just when my current '77 daily-driven Golf needs to be put in retirement.

When I drove it back home :

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7716664690_12a06d067e_o.jpg)

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7716666406_f3eac5ce1b_o.jpg)

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7716663120_a455b36836_o.jpg)

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7768595726_d340d01ab4_o.jpg)

The first thing I have done last week was setting the height, suspensions, brakes and steering. It was too low, and was a pain in the a** to drive on mountain roads and small passes roads.
I threw away the KYB gas shocks and put 4 new Boge ones. Will come later wider and meater tires because I don't like the look of it like this, as it comes with 5x130 drums I'd like to either put 911/912 steel wheels or keep the Gasburners but have them media-blasted to have a sliver/satin finish.

Then I'll add a few 'cal-look' accessories  ;D and I need to replace a few parts that don't fit the year model and it will be perfect. It will only be a cheap and quick project.

How it looks now :

And to set the front end correctly with the lowered beam I'll use this : (and I don't really like how the front wheel looks 'pushed' on the front of the fender  :P)

(http://www.speed-shop.fr/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/6/1/61560.jpg)

(http://www.speed-shop.fr/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/6/1/61525.jpg)

nice looking car nico , sober as has to be a cal look

Me like!!!!  ;D

gr
Wout

And I like it too  ;)

BTW,nice place where you took these pics.

Thanks guys  ;D

Love this one!  ;)

That looks great... white ALWAYS looks good on a looker!

Thank you guys  8)

btw Nico re: your issue with where the wheel sits, it looks to me like the wing itself is damaged. Maybe had a light tap up front at some point?

Maybe yes, I know the front-right fender has been replaced by a repro one a few years ago, so maybe it doesn't have the same shape like stock german fenders.

I finally managed to find a photo of this car, this is how the Gasburners would look like if I were to keep them :

(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_WfCoy6mmPwA/Sg4AICHA40I/AAAAAAAAFnw/RAYZSdo4W2o/s800/IMG_1248.JPG)

Mines came when I bought the care and they are repros so I wouldn't really mind having them media-blasted.
Can't find more pics of this car, but I think the owner is registered on The Lounge  :)

look at CHRIS W

Thanks Fabs!

(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_WfCoy6mmPwA/StzgfZFTWOI/AAAAAAAAH7A/V-YH_CUzSxA/s800/IMG_3343.JPG)

(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_WfCoy6mmPwA/StzgoMVz3RI/AAAAAAAAH7o/o0ApfG3CWPY/s800/IMG_3427.JPG)

Very nice car Nico  ;)

I don't really like black gasburner but your grey version is cool !

What will be the new tires' sizes ?

Thanks Flow, I don't like them in black too  :P Tires will be 155R15 front and 185 rear Vredestein Sprint Classic I think, like the blue one.

I took a look into my parts stash and mounted this wheel with a NOS Superior boss kit, this one allows to keep the stock Wolfsburg crest horn button. The Berg shifter was already in the car when I bought it and I'm keeping this awesome shifter.

I need to clean the electrical wiring and to put the emergency lights in the correct place on the dash.

It's a fortunate turn of events, you buying a new Beetle when you wanted to quit. And a nice one, too. You'll leave the engine stock in this one?
What happened to the Golf? Rust?

Yes, I almost sold my Beetle in spring and now I have 2  ;D This one will keep the stock 1300 engine, it will stay mainly stock except a few accessories.

Yes the Golf has too much rust. The pan and body are in bad shape and I think it will not be good for the MOT/technical inspection. It's not completely ruined but the car is mainly tired in its whole shape (except engine and gearbox which are working perfectly!) and it would deserve to be restored, but I don't have the time to do it now so I put it in "retirement"  ;D . I bought it with 400000km and now it has more than 500000km. I'm keeping it though, for the moment I have space to store it so it's fine. I don't want to sell it to someone because due to it's bad shape it will probably be stripped-out, all the parts sold separately and the body will go to the crusher so I'd rather keep it and do nothing with it. Maybe in a few years I'll restore it or sell it to someone I know will restore it.
And since last year I wanted to get another aircooled VW to use as a daily driver, Golf Mk1 are cool but it will never replace a flat-4. I noticed this Beetle for sale not very far from me since June, and this summer I decided to take a look at it. It's in great condition and was at a correct price so I bought it, hey you only live once  :P

I have a few little works to do on it and when it'll be done, I'll be back on the engine for the blue one seriously.

Made the steering feel like new yesterday. Not pictured is the complete greasing and setting of the front-end/supsension/steering-box  :P And I did the same with the rear-end/gearbox today. Tomorrow it will be the brakes.

Today I'm gonna replace the 1302 tail-lights lenses with this :

The pan needed a little cleaning and painting :P :P :P It's only slightly rusted but I'm taking care of it. I hate this tar/insultion cr*p!  >:(

 :o

 :P

 ;D

I think you have a big spider in the car... look at this web !!  :D

Nice work  ;)

;D

Thanks!

I'm still alive  :) I guess when sh*t is after you, you only have to run faster.

And I still have inspiration for the Lotus White '68 :

New toy?  ;D

gr
Wout

Only inspiration  ;D

Beautiful inspiration!
That's my ultimate dream... ::)

those wheels look familiar ;-)

For my old days, maybe  :D



 ;)


Another pic showing what could be "inspired of" the white Beetle :

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o302/16vguy/PORSCHE911BILLSTEELE1-Copy.jpg)

Thought I would post about the lastest updates on my cars. Not much has been done on the blue '68, though I'm still keeping it clean and driving it from time to time, and it's still the perfect driver (waiting for its new engine...). The white one is now my daily driver, though last summer and autumn I took some time to completely revise it, rust-proof it, and detail it. I've spent hours underneath it cleaning it and painting everything underneath the chassis, wheel arches, hoods and fender with epoxy paint. It had only a couple minor rust issues that I fixed and it's now ready to go for a few more years. I tried as much as possible to preserve the original paint, on the outside only a few spots have been painted or treated with Rustol. It's not a show-car result, it's not perfect but it's clean enough for me and I did that on a few weekends only, still driving it daily during the week.

A few pics.

.

Before and After

Top work! I can't work without beer either.  ;D

Thanks! I've also cleaned up things underneath the front and read hoods. Beer is the sweetest working companion!

(http://40.media.tumblr.com/e79c5b0a0af46993bca995e63f2da38a/tumblr_nov5mwp5kn1rtwon8o1_1280.jpg)

Nice progress!

Thanks ;)

great work on the underside of your 68: I am doing the same at the moment and your pics keep me motivated in the cold workshop  ;)

That's a pain in the a** to do, especially if like me you are doing it without taking everything apart, underneath the car and you keep on driving your car daily. It's not a proper restoration, but after this you will be quiet for many years to come regarding rust issues. Once everything was done, I sprayed some wax on the underside, in places are hard to access, all around the body. I don't know the name of that wax in english, but it's a wax that prevents rust. Ask your local bodyshop they must know about this!

I will be using Ovatrol oil as rost stopper and then an Ovatrol based primer and Ovatrol based chassis paint.
I heard a lot of good things about this stuff and I am really curious how it will work...

I use some of these products since a few years too, especially the clear varnish they have, so far it seems to work really well!

Replaced the awful Grant wheel with a much sweeter one.

It's being driven hard :) And that's one of the greatest car to drive on snow!

Are you still putting that 1904(?) together?

Well I kept all of the parts, and last months I picked up another set of rebuilt and ready to go Weber 40IDF with a set of jets. I did a list again of everything I have/what I need to get. Mostly I'm just missing a few of the small engine tin parts, a Bosch blue coil, a generator, pushrods which I still don't know if going with aluminium or steel, and I have to have my heads modified for dual valve springs and unleaded gas.
I moved in a new place so I hope I'll be able to continue with this in a few months!

Oh and I am still unsure about using single or dual valve springs with the SLR VX290 cam, deciding about the pushrods will also depend on this.